Time marches on
by Sxphyre
Summary: Nine years old..hundreds of thousands of experiences lay before you, and you don't choose to experience them. Being shy and modest,that's just you. One day, a man of 21 comes along and opens that shell. He's just...different from everyone. Side by side,hand in hand,you approach the many experiences to experience,close your eyes and fall in before time runs out. Series of one-shots.
1. Worry

**Hi! I'm kinda procrastinating about updating those chapters for prisoner... . Sorry. I guess prisoner ideas aren't flowing today. Right now I feel like fluffy stuff. :) I will come back to this fic when I'm bored, so I don't know how often it'll be updated. These aren't in the order of when they happened, its just what I feel like writing.**

One shot 1: Worry

Ib: Age 10

Garry: Age 21

* * *

I opened the door of Ib's large house, and her parents greeted me. I was taking the job of babysitting Ib for a while, because they were going to go on a business trip.

"Alright, Garry. The trip is two weeks until we'll be back, and since you've been like a brother to her, or so she said, you will take care of her for these two weeks. We're going to give you a decent pay when we get back, and feel free to use the credit cards we left on the counter to buy stuff Ib needs. We'll be back... July...2nd I believe. If you do anything to her, I will report you to the police, and your face will never be known again. Got it?" her father said, on his way out the door.

"Understood," I said.

"We've gotten you off for two weeks of your job at the art shop, so don't worry about it," her Mom said, making her way out the door.

"Thank you. I will take good care of her," I said, and when I saw the car leave the garage, I took a breath of relief. I guess they didn't trust me all that much. I turned and walked to the living room, and Ib was sitting on the couch and reading a book. I sat down on another couch, and she lowered the book and looked at me.

"Whatcha reading?" I asked. She lifted the book up.

"Where the Red Fern Grows," she said, and those words were on the cover of the book.

"That's a great story..." I said, remembering when I read it in middle school. "What part are you at?"

"They won the coon hunting championships... and now their heading home," she said, lifting the book again.

"Oh..." I said, remembering the book was an unfortunate but hopeful tragedy.

"Your parents left, your stuck with me for a while," I said. She smiled and put the book down.

"Not bad for me... my parents are annoying sometimes," she said.

"Haha, I didn't like my parents when I was your age either," I said. I checked my watch, but the hands weren't moving. I sighed, then stood up.

"What's wrong, Garry?" Ib asked.

"Oh, my watch is just broken..." I said, and she looked at it.

"It's a nice watch," she said. "Was it expensive?"

"Yeah... I guess," I glanced over to the vast kitchen, and it was 6:57.

"Ib, are you hungry?" I asked.

"Not really," she said, picking her book back up.

"Too bad, you're going to eat anyway," I said, and walked over to the kitchen and looked at what was in the fridge. There was vegetables, some slabs of meat, a drawer of fruit, and some other snacks. I went to the cabinet and took the flower out. I took out some other stuff from the fridge and decided to make noodles. I started to mix the flower when I noticed Ib had moved to the table, still reading her book.

"Want to help?" I asked, and she marked her book and hopped off the stool.

"Sure," she said, and she helped me mix the flower. I took it and cut it up into small pieces, and put plastic wrap over the pan and put it in the freezer.

"Now we wait another eternity," Ib said, and went back to pick up her book.

"Hey, I thought you said you weren't hungry," I teased.

"Now I am. I wasn't a minute ago," she smiled. She went back to the living room, and I went to the music room to get a book. I saw a book about Guertena, and picked it up then went to the living room to join Ib. I reclined on the couch and read, when I heard a whimper.

"Ib?" I said, and sat up. The small girl had a single tear trickling down her face, and I put my book down and sat next to her.

"What's up?" I said.

"Old Dan... Little Ann..." she said slowly.

"Oh, Ib..." I said, and put my arm around her. It brought many childhood memories back... it's always been a great book. Ib turned around, dropped the book, then put her arms around me. I patted her back, and I could tell she was feeling better when she picked the book up.

"This book is too sad..." she said, and threw it gently on the couch.

"Yeah... it's a sad novel. But now it's time for dinner," I said, and she brightened up instantly.

"I'm starving..." she said, and I got up and took the noodles out of the freezer. I unwrapped the foil over the pan, and I boiled some water. Ib put the noodles in the water, and started to cook them while I took some pork and vegetables to put into the noodles.

"Can I just eat this now?" she asked anxiously.

"Just wait-it'll pay off," I said, and poured the pork into the noodles. I got the vegetables and Ib moaned.

"No vegetables... please?" she said. I paused for a moment, then took my hand back.

"Alright... but only this once," I said, and put them back in the freezer.

"If I asked that to my parents, they would get mad," she said.

"Well, parents are like that," I said. I took the handle of the pan and poured the noodles onto a large plate. A pleasant scent filled my nostrils, and I grabbed two bowls from the pantry. I filled one about half way for Ib, and I filled mine a bit higher.

"Here, careful... it's hot," I said, handing her her bowl. She took it and opened the drawer to get chopsticks. I took my bowl and sat down at the table. Ib came over and sat, and slid a some chopsticks to me.

"Thanks," I said, and we ate. I looked at Ib, and for some reason it looked as if she had sorrow in her eyes.

"Are the noodles okay?" I asked, she she nodded.

"They're good," she said, and kept on eating. I slurped up the noodles and finished my bowl, and went to the plate to get more. Ib followed and got a little more, and we finished almost at the same time. I wrapped up the leftovers, and I put them in the fridge. Ib was sitting on the couch, just sitting with a sorrowful look in her eyes. I went over and sat next to her.

"Hey... are you still sad from the book?" I asked.

"No..." she said quietly.

"What is it? I know something's bothering you..." I said.

"Well... I was..." she said almost inaudibly.

"What's up? You can tell me," I said.

"Will there be a day... when I get older... we'll have to part?" she asked. I blinked.

"Huh?" I said.

"When I grow up, will I have to leave you?" she asked.

"N-No... not if you don't want to..." I said.

"I don't want you to leave.." she said quietly.

"C'mere Ib..." I said, and she put her arms around me.

"I want you to stay with me..."

"I'll always be with you, Ib,"

* * *

**I don't know if that was anything of a one-shot to you, but it just made me feel better writing it, you know. I'll write more when I'm bored, so don't expect this to get updated every day. And these one-shots are going to be short... just because.**


	2. Beach isolation

**Ideas are still slow for prisoner, but I've got tons for this one. Lots of fun to write :) **

Ib- Age 10

Garry- Age 21

2. Beach Isolation

* * *

I looked around, gripping the picnic basket in my hands, and looked at the vast beach. However, there it was missing something. Where were all the people?

"It seems a bit empty here..." Garry said, looking around.

"Yeah..." I said, and continued forward. We put our stuff right in the middle of the beach, and laid down our towels and beach chairs. I fluffed out my towel and laid it flat on the sand, took my flip flops off and sat down. Garry unfolded a beach chair and laid on that.

"Where are all the people?" I asked.

"I don't know... it's the middle of summer, I wonder why there aren't any people here," Garry said, looking out into the ocean.

"Oh well. Better for us, I guess," I said. Garry was really the only person I could really tell how I felt. For some opinions I had, Mom and Dad would get mad at me, and the people at school didn't care what I felt. But Garry listened, and was the only one that listened. Normally I keep stuff inside, just because no one wanted to hear it. It feels better to have someone to talk to.

"You want to swim?" Garry asked, getting out his book.

"No.. I don't have a bathing suit," I said, and Garry sat up abruptly.

"You don't have a bathing suit? What kid doesn't have a bathing suit?" he said, and I couldn't help but smile.

"This one doesn't," I said.

"Here, we can go dip our feet in," Garry said, getting up. He rolled up his pants then extended his hand, and I took it, then we walked down to the water.

"Is it cold?" I asked. He stepped into it, and shook his head.

"It's kind of warm," he said. I stepped into it, and it was kind of cold, but not so cold I had to step out.

"Here, Ib," he said, dipping his finger in. "There are thousands of tiny organisms that live in this water," I looked at the drop on his finger and shrugged.

"I don't see any..." I said.

"Haha, that's because their microscopic! You can't see them," he said.

"Oh," I said. I closed my eyes and felt the gentle waves brush my ankles. It felt pretty good, the warm evening sun was kissing my skin, and it just felt great. Until a hand pushed me over.

"YAH!" I shouted as I lost my balance, and fell into the water. The water surrounded my whole body, and felt cool and refreshing. However, I got right back up and half smiled at Garry.

"You're going to pay for that," I said, and put my hand in the water and splashed him. It was a big splash, and it covered the front half of his shirt.

"Oh yeah?" he said, and leaned down to splash me, and I took a step and pushed him as hard as I could, and I could tell he wasn't expecting it. He soon lost his balance, then fell in. He then sat up and smiled.

"That was good," he said. He brushed his arm on the surface of the water, creating a huge splash that covered my entire body. I put my arm in front of my face so water wouldn't get in my eyes or mouth, and dove at Garry. We were both sitting and splashing each other, until we were so tired we just stopped altogether. I stood up, and realized how wet my clothes were.

"Geez, my clothes are soaked," I said, feeling how heavy my shirt was.

"Me too," Garry said with a laugh, getting to his feet. We walked back hand in hand to the beach chair and towel, and Garry grabbed the picnic basket and peered inside. He took out a hair brush and some clothes.

"Here, Ib. I brought you an extra pair of clothes," he said, handing the neatly folded clothes to me. I took them gladly, and thought of how soaked his clothes were.

"Did you bring yourself an extra set?" I asked him.

"Me? No," he said with a laugh, "I'm fine, go get changed," I headed to the changing room and peeled off my soaked clothes and put on the dry ones. I felt much lighter and dry. I looked in the mirror, and my hair was a mess. It was all tangly and messy. Did Garry give me the hairbrush? I looked around to see if I dropped it or something, but I didn't. I sloppily bundled my wet clothes and went back to where Garry was sitting.

"All cleaned up?" Garry asked, and I sat back down on my towel.

"Yup," I said, setting the wet clothes aside.

"Turn around," he said, and I did. He started to brush my hair, pulling at the tangles and cleaning it up. Then he made a tight braid and put it on my shoulder.

"Thanks," I said, and noticed the sun was setting, and the sky was a mix of orange, pink, and baby blue. It was one of the most beautiful things I've seen in my life.

"The sky's looking beautiful this evening," Garry said, and grabbed the picnic basket again. This time, he took out a smaller box which had some sandwiches in it. He put it down on the towel I was sitting on, and he sat down as well on the large towel.

"Did you want turkey or ham? I didn't know which one," he said.

"Mm, either's good," I said.

"I packed both just in case," he said, and handed me two sandwiches. I ate happily, and he got out a roast beef sandwich for himself. We ate while gazing into the sunset, and watched as the sun slowly descended.

"Wasn't this the perfect night to come?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said. "The sky's so pretty," I observed the sky for the second time, and this time there was a mix of orange, pink, yellow, and purple. It was breathtaking, and I felt Garry shiver.

"Are you cold?" I asked.

"No, I'm fine," he said, hugging himself.

"You're cold," I said, and wrapped my arms around him. He was freezing. His clothes were wet and cold, and I didn't think that was good.

"I-Ib... I'm f-fine..." he said, his teeth starting to chatter.

"No your not," I said, letting go and standing up. I sat down on his lap and put my arms around his neck, hoping to warm him up a bit.

"Ib, I'm-" he began to say.

"You're not fine, Garry," I said, and he put his arms around me.

"You do make it a bit warmer," he said, and I smiled and closed my eyes. He might've been freezing cold, but at least he was feeling better. He let go, and I got up and picked up a stick left on the beach.

"What's that for?" he asked.

"I dunno..." I said, poking the sand with it. I drew a smiley face in the sand, and Garry observed.

"Can I see it?" Garry asked, and I handed him the stick. He sat up and drew his name on the sand, letter by letter. G-A-R-R-Y. Then, he handed it to me.

"Huh?" I said, looking down at the nicely defined letters.

"Write your name," he said, and I sat down next to him and drew two letters.

I-B

G-A-R-R-Y

"Forever is a long time, but I wouldn't mind spending it by your side."

* * *

**I have a crap-ton load of homework, and this just released all that stress. :) I can't say anything about updates, but I will when I'm feeling down. **


End file.
